LARAMIE, Wyo. — While the UW Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams go on a tear across different pools around the country, their own swimming complex at home is still a work in progress. Here’s a look at the progress of the soon-to-be University of Wyoming Aquatics Center, which began construction Nov. 1.
The facility’s design and layout, as shown above, were approved by the University of Wyoming’s Board of Trustees earlier this year, where they also finalized the site’s location. When finished, the center will be just across the street from War Memorial Stadium and the school’s Indoor Practice Facility.
According to UW Operations Associate Vice President Michael Samp, the project is estimated to be completed in spring 2026 and has a budget of $65 million.
Where there once was a parking lot used primarily on game days for football fans will soon be the replacement for some rapidly aging facilities for UW aquatic sports. Samp said that the reduction of parking space shouldn’t impact fans.
“That was certainly a consideration for the siting of the facility,” Samp said. “However, with some modifications to existing parking structures and access to some of the outlying lots, as well as support from our transit parking services, we feel that we can meet the need for all the game-day operations for both football and basketball.”
Previously, students and athletes could either swim in the Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center’s now-defunct pool or at the John Corbett Building. Since the Half Acre pool was demolished, the Corbett pool is now the only extant water facility for students on campus, but the nearly 50-year-old pool is growing increasingly antiquated.
The Corbett Pool is also half the size of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Besides being outdated, that also means UW swimmers have to spend time turning around in practice when their competitors wouldn’t. The new center’s main pool will, thankfully, meet Olympic standards.
Although the school’s swimmers can’t dive into the waters at the University of Wyoming Aquatics Center just yet, they are still going out every day competing. The UW Swimming and Diving Team can be followed at the UW Athletics web page.
